| Name | Gwyneth Berdara |
|---|---|
| Age | 28 (ACOSF) |
| Species | 3/4 High Fae & 1/4 River-nymph |
| Status | Alive |
| Court | Night Court |
| Rank/Title | Priestess |
| Eye Color | Teal |
| Hair Color | Coppery-Brown |
| Family | Unnamed Father, Unnamed Mother †, Catrin Berdara † (Twin-Sister) |
| Appears in | A Court of Silver Flames |
Contents
Biography / History
Early Life
Gwyneth Berdara is a High Fae female with a trace of lesser fae heritage. Her grandmother was a river-nymph who once seduced a High Fae male of the Autumn Court. Gwyn’s mother, born of that union, struggled to fit anywhere—unable to live in the rivers of the Spring Court and too untamed for the Forest House of the Autumn Court. As a child, she was sent to the temple at Sangravah to be raised by priestesses.
During the Great Rite at Calanmai, Gwyn’s mother was chosen for the sacred union with an unnamed High Fae male. Gwyneth and her fraternal twin, Catrin, were conceived that night. Their mother never learned the identity of their father.
Sangravah Attack and Trauma
At age twenty-six, Gwyn’s life changed during Hybern’s invasion of Sangravah. As soldiers stormed the temple, Gwyn gathered the children and hid them in a catacomb tunnel beneath a trapdoor in the kitchen. Realizing that escaping herself would expose the hiding place, she stayed behind, concealing the entrance beneath a rug and table.
Hybern’s General captured her and demanded she reveal the children’s location. When she refused, he brought forward Catrin, who had been seized elsewhere, and threatened her again. Gwyn still refused to speak—leading the General to behead Catrin in front of her, along with two other priestesses. Gwyn was then raped by the General and nearly assaulted again before Azriel arrived. He killed the soldiers within moments, wrapped Gwyn in his cloak, and brought her to the House of Wind, where Mor ensured she received safety and care.
Gwyn spent weeks in silence, unable to speak or sing, deeply traumatized by the attack and her twin’s death.
A Court of Silver Flames – Timeline Events
Meets Nesta in the Library
Gwyn first encounters Nesta in the library. Despite Nesta’s sharp, intimidating demeanor, Gwyn remains unafraid and open, surprising her. Their easy rapport becomes the starting point of a deep friendship.
First to Cut the Ribbon
After a vulnerable night of shared confessions between the trio, Gwyn is the first of the three to cut the ribbon—a symbolic mark of becoming a true Valkyrie. This achievement strengthens their resolve and pride.
Wins the Blood Rite
Emerie carries Gwyn all the way to the summit, and the two are winnowed to the River House as the official winners of the Rite. They wait anxiously for Nesta, their third Valkyrie, to return alive.
Appearance
Gwyneth Berdara is young and tall, with:
- Slender, elegant limbs
- A lean, lithe build
- Rich coppery-brown, pin-straight hair
- Large, clear teal eyes
- Pale skin dusted with freckles across her nose, cheeks, and hands
- Arched High Fae ears
Nesta notes that Gwyn’s beauty can rival that of Mor or Merrill, especially when she is joyful.
Changes Through the Series
- House of Wind (A Court of Silver Flames):
When Gwyn is first introduced, she appears pale and fragile from trauma, spending her days within the library. Her physical presence is subdued as she recovers from the horrors of Sangravah. - Training with the Valkyries:
As she trains with Nesta and Emerie, Gwyn becomes stronger and more resilient. Her posture straightens, her movements grow assured, and she gains visible physical strength while maintaining her slender, graceful build. With growing confidence, healing, and purpose, Gwyn is described as radiant and vibrant. Her teal eyes brighten, and her natural beauty becomes more noticeable—often compared to Mor’s—especially when she laughs or sings.
Personality
Gwyneth Berdara balances deep kindness with fierce determination, shaped by trauma, resilience, and her growing bond with the Valkyries. Though fear once kept her secluded, she continually chooses courage, loyalty, and growth.
Key traits
- Courageous despite trauma:
Gwyn initially fears leaving the library due to the horrors she survived at Sangravah, often declining Nesta’s invitations. Yet she repeatedly pushes past that fear to support and protect her friends. - Determined and competitive:
Gwyn trains relentlessly, staying late at the practice ring and pushing herself to master every challenge. Her drive shines through when she becomes fixated on being the first to cut the ribbon and when she urges the others to conquer the obstacle course, partly to wipe the smirks off Cassian’s and especially Azriel’s faces. - Kind and approachable:
She is gentle, warm, and easy to talk to, quickly forming bonds with others in the House of Wind and the library. - Charming and irreverent:
Gwyn has a playful, lightly rebellious sense of humor—an irreverence noted even by Azriel—that softens her sharp focus and determination. - Supportive and selfless:
She consistently shows up for her friends, offering comfort, encouragement, and solidarity, even when she is still healing herself.
Powers & Abilities
Priestess Abilities
Invoking Stone
As a priestess, Gwyn wields an Invoking Stone, a magical focus similar in purpose to the Illyrian siphons but limited in function. Unlike siphons, Invoking Stones:
- Cannot be used to harm
- Are designed solely for healing, protection, and sacred magic
Relationships
| Catrin Berdara | Catrin is Gwyn’s twin sister, and the two were raised together in the temple at Sangravah. After their mother’s death, Catrin became the one who looked after Gwyn, and Gwyn admired her deeply. Despite their differences, the twins shared a close and loving bond. They used to braid bracelets for each other, adding small charms filled with wishes, believing each wish would come true when the bracelet eventually fell off. Even two years after Catrin’s death, Gwyn continues to grieve and carry the weight of survivor’s guilt. She misses her sister every day. |
|---|---|
| Nesta Archeron | When Gwyn and Nesta first met, Nesta was cold and abrasive, but Gwyn remained unfazed and continued speaking to her. Their dynamic shifted when Gwyn panicked after giving Merrill the wrong book and feared her reaction; Nesta quietly stepped in and switched the copies to protect her. Nesta repeatedly invited Gwyn to join her for training, and although Gwyn initially refused, she eventually arrived one morning—determined to stop feeling weak. From that point on, they became fast friends. During the Blood Rite, Gwyn refused to abandon Nesta, choosing to stay by her side despite the danger. When Nesta forced her to flee in order to save her life, Gwyn told her she would never forgive her for it—even as relief and joy at seeing Nesta alive showed how much their bond mattered to her. |
| Azriel | Gwyn and Azriel first met when Hybern attacked the temple at Sangravah. After Gwyn was assaulted by a Hybern general and threatened by the soldiers, Azriel arrived, killed her attackers, wrapped her in his cloak, and Mor brought her to the library beneath the House of Wind. They met again when Gwyn began training with Nesta under Cassian and Azriel’s supervision. In the A Court of Silver Flames bonus chapter, Azriel finds Gwyn training alone in the ring on Solstice morning. She wishes him a happy Solstice, and they share a brief, light exchange. He adjusts her dagger grip before she resumes training. The next day, instead of returning the necklace he bought for Elain, Azriel goes to the library and leaves the gift with Clotho, asking her to give it to Gwyn without revealing the sender. As he leaves, he imagines how Gwyn’s teal eyes might brighten at the sight of it, burying the thought as “a thing of secret, lovely beauty.” |
